Texas Fishing Report, July 17

ATHENS: Water clear; 85-89 degrees; 0.20 feet low. Black bass are slow on watermelon creature baits and topwaters. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 86-89 degrees; 1.24 feet low. Black bass are slow on weightless soft plastics and Texas rig plastic worms. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are fair on topwaters and slabs. Catfish are fair on trotlines and nightcrawlers.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear, 84-88 degrees; 22.37 feet low. Black bass are fair on white medium crankbaits near riprap and green pumpkin shakyhead worms on deeper docks. Crappie are good on minnows and tube jigs. White bass are good on slabs and topwaters. Hybrid striper are good on slabs and topwaters. Channel catfish are fair on trotlines.

CADDO: Water stained; 84-88 degrees; 0.20 feet high. Black bass are fair on bladed jigs and hollow body frogs near stumps and shallow cover. White and yellow bass are slow on topwaters and slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 84-89 degrees; 3.43 feet low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigged craws in green pumpkin and topwater poppers. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on topwaters. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines and nightcrawlers.

FORK: Water clear; 84-89 degrees; 3.67 feet low. Black bass are slow on football jigs and drop shot worms in 15-20 feet. White and yellow bass are good on topwaters. Crappie are good on minnows near the bridges. Catfish are slow on trotlines and chicken liver.

LAKE O’THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 85-89; degrees; 1.84 feet high. Black bass are slow on flipping jigs in black and blue and weightless soft plastics. Crappie are fair on white tube jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 84-88 degrees; 11.92 feet low. Black bass are slow on black buzzbaits and Texas rigged worms in 5-10 feet. White bass are slow on slabs and topwaters. Crappie are good on minnows and white jigs. Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 89-93 degrees; 0.45 feet low. Black bass are fair on hollow belly frogs near shallow cover as well as drop shot soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on minnows. Catfish are good on punch bait and rod and reel.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 94-100 degrees; 0.89 feet low. Black bass are good on deep diving crankbaits and drop shot finesse worms near the discharge. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on trotlines and prepared bait.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 83-88 degrees; 0.22 feet low. Black bass are good on green pumpkin shakyheads and Scrounger head rigs. Crappie are good on minnows. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. White bass are fair on topwaters. Catfish are good on trotlines.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 85-88 degrees; 9.26 feet low. Black bass are slow on football jigs and crankbaits in 10-15 feet targeting rock piles along drop-offs. Crappie are slow on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on prepared bait and trotlines.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 84-87 degrees; 7.06 feet low. Black bass are fair on football jigs and Carolina rigged worms. White bass are fair on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on minnows and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on trotlines.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 85-89 degrees; 9.53 feet low. Black bass are slow on hollow body frogs and shallow crankbaits in shad patterns. Crappie are fair on minnows and tube jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair on slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines. Please call ahead to verify access at ramp of your choice. Lake access is severely limited due to low water.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 84-87 degrees; 6.21 feet low. Black bass are good on topwaters and Texas rigged plastics near floating docks. Crappie are good on minnows. Striped bass are good on topwaters and slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 85-89 degrees; 6.28 feet high. Black bass are slow on hollow body frogs and swim jigs. Some fish being caught early on topwaters. Crappie are good on jigs minnows. Catfish are fair on cut shad and prepared bait.

SOUTHEAST

CONROE: Water stained; 81-85 degrees; 0.04 feet high. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are fair on shad colored crankbaits and silver striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and fair on blue tube jigs over brush in 20 feet. Catfish are good on stinkbait, chicken livers, and nightcrawlers.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Black bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on liver, cut bait, and stinkbait.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 86-90 degrees; 0.03 feet low. Black bass to 10 pounds are good on topwaters and purple or red soft plastics. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Bream are good on live worms around structure. Channel and blue catfish are good on juglines baited with cut shad. Yellow catfish are slow.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 81-85 degrees; 0.18 feet high. Black bass are good on watermelon spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Striped bass are fair on pet spoons, hellbenders, trolling tubes, and slabs. White bass are good on pet spoons, hellbenders, trolling tubes, and Charlie slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are good on shad. Yellow catfish are fair on live bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water murky; 80-84 degrees; 0.04 feet high. Black bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and pet spoons. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue/black tube jigs over brush piles. Bream are slow. Catfish are very good on trotlines baited with live bait and cut bait.

TOLEDO BEND: Water murky; 81-85 degrees; 1.14 feet low. Black bass are good on pumpkinseed soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs. White bass are good on Li’l Fishies and silver spoons. Crappie are good on minnows over baited holes in 15-20 feet. Bream are good on nightcrawlers. Channel and blue catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live bait and stinkbait in 30 feet. Yellow catfish are slow.

COASTAL

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Redfish are good in the cuts and drains leading to the marsh on shrimp and Gulps.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good while drifting the reefs on live shrimp and topwaters. Drifters have been working slicks and pods of shad on the Reef on the south end. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and topwaters.

BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Black drum, sand trout and redfish are good at Rollover Pass. Deep shell has produced trout on the outgoing tide. Trout are good in the surf on live bait.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working wells and shell pads on shrimp, croakers, Bass Assassins, Gamblers and Lit’l Johns. Redfish are good on live bait around the reefs and at the spillway.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good for drifters working deep shell on limetreuse and plum plastics. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Trout are good on the Ship Channel on croakers and plastics.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are in the surf and off the piers on live bait. Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Offshore is good for tarpon, kingfish, dorado and ling.

TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair to good on the reefs on live shrimp and croakers. Solid trout have come from the edge of the Ship Channel on croakers and shrimp.

FREEPORT: Trout are good at San Luis Pass on shrimp and MirrOlures. Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Trout, Spanish mackerel and sand trout are good at the jetties on live bait.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet. Trout are fair to good in the surf on live bait.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and topwaters. Redfish are fair on topwaters and live shrimp in Oyster Lake and Crab Lake.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair on topwaters and live bait over sand, grass and shell in San Antonio Bay. Trout are fair to good in the surf and at the jetty on croakers. Redfish are good on the shorelines.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair in the guts and channels on free-lined shrimp. Trout are fair over grass while drifting with live shrimp. Redfish are good on mullet on the Estes Flats and around Mud Island.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Trout are fair to good in the surf on topwaters, piggies and croakers. Offshore is good for kingfish and ling.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on Gulps and live shrimp. Redfish are good in the potholes on shrimp. Trout are fair to good along the King Ranch shoreline on croakers and piggy perch.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good over grass in the Land Cut. Trout are good on topwaters around rocks and grass. Trout are fair to good on the King Ranch shoreline on croakers, topwaters and plum plastics.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on topwaters around sand and grass. Redfish are fair to good while drifting pot holes and on live bait. Offshore is good for ling and kingfish.

SOUTH PADRE: Redfish and trout are good in the shallows of South Bay and Mexiquita Flats on shrimp and plastics under rattling corks. Tarpon are showing at the pass. Snook are fair on topwaters and shrimp.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the flats on live shrimp. Redfish are good on small Super Spooks and SkitterWalks. Trout are good on live bait on the edge of the channel drop-offs.